Going to college means more to me than earning a degree. It represents the opportunity to create a future that I once could not clearly see for myself. Growing up, my circumstances were not always easy, but I learned that where I come from does not have to determine where I am going. College is my opportunity to turn the hard work, sacrifices, and lessons from my upbringing into something meaningful. Attending North Carolina A&T State University is also an accomplishment that represents how far I have come. Throughout high school, I challenged myself academically while taking on leadership responsibilities in Army JROTC. I became the Brigade Commander over 11 Army JROTC programs in Atlanta Public Schools, a position that required discipline, responsibility, and commitment. Those experiences taught me that I am capable of handling challenges and leading others, even when I am still figuring things out myself. What I am trying to accomplish through college is bigger than simply completing my classes. I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing because I want to become a registered nurse and eventually a Certified Nurse-Midwife. I want to provide women with compassionate care and advocate for patients who may not always feel heard. As an African American woman entering healthcare, I want to contribute to increasing representation in a field where diversity can have a meaningful impact on patient care. I also want my education to create opportunities beyond myself. My grandmother played a major role in helping me reach this point, and I want to make her sacrifices worthwhile. I want to graduate knowing that I did everything I could with the opportunities I was given. I hope to eventually use my career to serve women and families while encouraging other young people from challenging circumstances to believe that higher education is possible for them too. I want them to see that their beginnings do not have to limit their dream or their accomplishments. To me, college is a chance to build, serve, and become. I am not attending college simply because it is the next step after high school. I am there because I have goals that require me to grow, learn, and push beyond what I have experienced. I am trying to build a career that allows me to care for others, become financially independent, honor the people who supported me, and prove to myself that my circumstances do not define my future.

My plans for the future are to earn my Bachelor of Science in Nursing, become a registered nurse, and continue my education to become a Certified Nurse-Midwife. As a nurse-midwife, I hope to provide compassionate, culturally aware care to women throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery. I especially want to advocate for African American women, who experience disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality in the United States. I want to be part of a healthcare system where women feel heard, respected, and safe when receiving care. My interest in maternal healthcare comes from wanting to make a difference during one of the most important and vulnerable times in a woman’s life. I do not want my career to be limited to treating patients; I want to build relationships with them and make sure they understand their care and feel comfortable speaking up about their concerns. I want to use my voice to advocate for women who may feel overlooked or unheard. This scholarship would help me take an important step toward achieving these goals by reducing the financial burden of attending college. Pursuing a nursing degree requires significant expenses, including tuition, textbooks, laboratory materials, clinical supplies, and other educational costs. As I continue through college, having financial assistance would allow me to focus more of my time and energy on my education instead of constantly worrying about how I will cover my expenses. It would also help me take advantage of opportunities that can prepare me for my future career. My long-term goal is not simply to earn a degree. I want to use my education to serve others and make a meaningful difference in maternal healthcare. I want to become the kind of healthcare provider who listens to her patients, advocates for their needs, and makes them feel confident in the care they receive. I also hope to inspire other young African American women to pursue careers in healthcare and recognize that they belong in spaces where important decisions about their communities are being made. This scholarship would be an investment in more than my education; it would be an investment in the patients and communities I hope to serve. It would bring me one step closer to turning my passion for healthcare into eating service. With financial support, I can continue building the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to turn my goals into a career dedicated to caring for women, advocating for patients, and improving maternal health outcomes.

I grew up in circumstances that were different from what many people consider a traditional family. My mother was not present in my life, and my father was incarcerated, so my grandmother became the person I depended on most. Although she was not my legal guardian, she took on the responsibility of making sure I had what I needed and had someone in my corner. Her role in my life taught me early that family is not always about who is legally responsible for you, but about who chooses to show up for you. My grandmother did more than provide me with a place to live. She supported me through school, encouraged my goals, and reminded me that my circumstances did not have to determine my future. I watched her make sacrifices for me, and that motivated me to take my education seriously. I knew that if someone was willing to work so hard to give me opportunities, I had a responsibility to make the most of them. Her support also taught me to become independent and advocate for myself when I needed help. As I got older, I became determined to create a future that I could be proud of. In high school, I pushed myself academically while taking on leadership responsibilities in Army JROTC. I eventually became the Brigade Commander over 11 Army JROTC programs in Atlanta Public Schools. Taking on one of the highest cadet leadership positions while preparing for college was challenging, but it taught me discipline, resilience, and how to remain committed even when life became demanding. I also learned that the environment and circumstance in which we are raised should not determine the opportunities we pursue or our personal value. My upbringing also shaped the kind of career I want. I plan to become a Certified Nurse-Midwife because I want to provide women with compassionate care and be someone they can trust during an important and vulnerable time in their lives. I understand what it means for one person’s support to make a lasting difference because my grandmother was that person for me. I cannot change the circumstances I was raised in, but I can decide what I do with them. My grandmother gave me stability when I needed it, and her sacrifices became part of the reason I refuse to limit my dreams. I want my education and future career to honor the woman who helped raise me by allowing me to become someone who provides others with the same sense of support, care, and hope that she gave me.

My goal is to become a Certified Nurse Midwife and provide compassionate, patient-centered care to women, especially during some of the most transformative moments of their lives. Growing up without a mother figure during important moments in my life helped me understand how meaningful it can be to have someone who listens, advocates for you, and makes you feel supported. That experience shaped my desire to become the person I needed during those moments for other women. My passion for midwifery is also connected to a serious issue in healthcare: the racial disparity in maternal mortality. African American women have the highest maternal mortality rate among the major racial and ethnic groups in the United States. In 2024, the maternal mortality rate for Black women was 44.8 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared with 14.2 for White Women, 12.1 for Hispanic women, and 18.1 for Asian women(CDC). This disparity is more than a statistic to me; it represents women who deserves to be heard, respected, and protected while receiving care. As someone who hopes to work directly with mothers during pregnancy and childbirth, I want to understand the factors contributing to this disparity and be part of improving the care Black women receive. This is why I believe increasing racial diversity in healthcare is so important. Black women should have healthcare professionals who are committed to advocating for them and who understand that their concerns deserve to be taken seriously. Representation can help patients feel more comfortable communicating their concerns and building trust with their providers. It also brings different experiences and perspectives into healthcare, allowing providers to better understand the communities they serve. While representation alone cannot solve racial disparities in healthcare, I believe it is an important part of creating a healthcare system where every patient feels seen and valued. As a future Black woman in healthcare, I want to use my position to advocate for women of color, particularly those who may feel ignored or misunderstood. I want my patients to know that their voices matter and that they have someone willing to listen to them and speak up for their needs. Through nursing and eventually midwifery, I hope to contribute to reducing racial disparities in maternal healthcare and creating safer, more respectful experiences for mothers. Ultimately, I do not want my career to be defined only by the title of Certified Nurse Midwife. I want to be an advocate, a source of reassurance, and someone who helps change the experience Black women have within the healthcare system. My goal is to help ensure that every woman, regardless of her race, feels heard, respected, and safe during on of the most important chapters of her life.

“We inherit our parents’ mistakes, but we do not have to be defined by them.” This idea has shaped the way I view my future. Growing up, I watched my dad struggle with the consequences of choices he made when he was younger, choices he now wishes he could rewrite. He often told me about skipping school, failing classes, and eventually dropping out, not because he didn’t care, but because he didn’t understand the value of education until it was too late. His regret was something I felt long before I fully understood it. It lived in the pauses between his words, in the way he encouraged me to do better, and in the pride that lit up his face whenever I brought home an all‑A report card. Those moments became the foundation of my motivation. Every time he shared a story about the opportunities he missed, I silently promised myself that I would not repeat the same path. I would break the cycle. I would create a future shaped by intention, not regret. That promise is what motivates me to wake up every day determined to write my own story instead of living one already written for me. My dad’s experiences didn’t just push me toward education; they helped me understand why college matters. For me, pursuing higher education isn’t simply about earning a degree. It’s about rewriting a narrative that has followed my family for generations. It’s about proving to myself that I can rise above the instability and challenges of my childhood. And it’s about honoring the sacrifices my father made, even when he didn’t have much to give except his honesty and his hope for my future. Growing up without a consistent mother figure during life’s most important moments shaped my understanding of how deeply support matters. That understanding is what led me to nursing, and eventually to my goal of becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife. I want to be the kind of provider who listens, advocates, and stands beside people who often feel unseen. I want to serve communities where compassionate, culturally aware care is not always guaranteed. Every study session, every clinical rotation, and every challenge I will face in college will be part of keeping the promise I made to myself: to build a life defined by purpose, not circumstance. Choosing to pursue a college education is my way of stepping into a future that my father once believed was out of reach for him. His past does not define me, but it inspires me. It reminds me that I have the chance to create something different, something better. College is the next step in that journey, the place where I will gain the knowledge, experience, and confidence to turn my goals into reality.

One of the most urgent needs in my community is the lack of representation and culturally competent care for African American women during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Black women in the United States face the highest maternal mortality rates of any racial group, with a rate two to four times higher than that of White, Hispanic, or Asian women. These disparities are the result of systemic bias, the lack of representation in the medical field, and the reality that Black women are too often dismissed or ignored when they express pain or concerns. This gap in care creates dangerous outcomes during one of the most vulnerable and life‑changing moments in a woman’s life. My decision to pursue nursing, and ultimately become a Certified Nurse Midwife, comes from both this reality and my own lived experiences. Growing up without a consistent mother figure during the moments when I needed guidance the most shaped my understanding of how deeply support matters. I often found myself navigating milestones, challenges, and questions without the steady presence many of my peers had. That absence didn’t just leave a void; it revealed the kind of person I wanted to become for others. I want to be the kind of provider who listens, believes, and stands beside women who have historically been overlooked. My inspiration also comes from the women in my family who stepped in to fill that maternal role, my grandmother, my aunts, and my older sister. Their compassion, strength, and willingness to guide me taught me what true care looks like. They showed me that support is not just about being present, but about being attentive, patient, and understanding. Their influence helped me realize that I want to bring that same presence into healthcare, especially for women who rarely receive it. Through nursing and midwifery, I plan to address the disparities that harm Black women by offering culturally aware, patient‑centered care that prioritizes trust and communication. I want to create safe, stigma-free spaces where African American women feel empowered to voice their concerns and confident that they will be taken seriously. My goal is to not only support women during pregnancy and childbirth, but also to advocate for them in a system that has not always protected them. I hope to develop community programs that provide education on prenatal health, postpartum recovery, and mental wellness, resources that many women in my community do not currently have access to. My future training in nursing will equip me with the clinical skills to support mothers physically, while my lived experiences will guide me in supporting them emotionally. I want to be a provider who understands the cultural, emotional, and personal layers of care that statistics alone cannot capture. Becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife is more than a career goal for me; it is a commitment to addressing inequity, uplifting my community, and ensuring that Black women receive the care, respect, and advocacy they deserve. This path allows me to transform my experiences into purpose and to stand beside women during one of the most meaningful moments of their lives.

One of the most urgent needs in my community is the lack of representation and culturally competent care for African American women during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Black women in the United States face the highest maternal mortality rates of any racial group, with a rate two to four times higher than that of White, Hispanic, or Asian women. These disparities are the result of systemic bias, the lack of representation in the medical field, and the reality that Black women are too often dismissed or ignored when they express pain or concerns. This gap in care creates dangerous outcomes during one of the most vulnerable and life‑changing moments in a woman’s life. My decision to pursue nursing, and ultimately become a Certified Nurse Midwife, comes from both this reality and my own lived experiences. Growing up without a consistent mother figure during the moments when I needed guidance the most shaped my understanding of how deeply support matters. I often found myself navigating milestones, challenges, and questions without the steady presence many of my peers had. That absence didn’t just leave a void; it revealed the kind of person I wanted to become for others. I want to be the kind of provider who listens, believes, and stands beside women who have historically been overlooked. My inspiration also comes from the women in my family who stepped in to fill that maternal role, my grandmother, my aunts, and my older sister. Their compassion, strength, and willingness to guide me taught me what true care looks like. They showed me that support is not just about being present, but about being attentive, patient, and understanding. Their influence helped me realize that I want to bring that same presence into healthcare, especially for women who rarely receive it. Through nursing and midwifery, I plan to address the disparities that harm Black women by offering culturally aware, patient‑centered care that prioritizes trust and communication. I want to create safe, stigma-free spaces where African American women feel empowered to voice their concerns and confident that they will be taken seriously. My goal is to not only support women during pregnancy and childbirth, but also to advocate for them in a system that has not always protected them. Becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife is more than a career goal for me; it is a commitment to addressing inequity, uplifting my community, and ensuring that Black women receive the care, respect, and advocacy they deserve. This path allows me to transform my experiences into purpose and to stand beside women during one of the most meaningful moments of their lives. I learned about this scholarship through my school counselor.

I am someone who has learned to turn adversity into purpose and leadership into service. Growing up with housing instability and limited parental support required me to become independent much earlier than most. While these circumstances were challenging, they shaped my resilience, my discipline, and my desire to create a future defined not by where I started, but by the impact I plan to make. These experiences also taught me the importance of compassion, stability, and advocacy, values that guide both my character and my career goals. One of the most transformative parts of my journey has been my involvement in JROTC. I entered the program as a quiet freshman who wasn’t sure of her place, but I grew into a leader responsible for guiding hundreds of cadets across Atlanta Public Schools. Serving as Battalion Commander and later Brigade Commander taught me how to lead with integrity, communicate clearly, and support others through challenges. I learned that leadership is not about authority, it is about service, accountability, and the willingness to uplift the people around you. These lessons have shaped the way I approach every part of my life. My future career goal is to become a nurse midwife, a path inspired by both personal experience and a deep commitment to improving maternal health outcomes. Growing up without a consistent mother figure made me acutely aware of how important it is for women to feel supported, informed, and cared for, especially during pregnancy and childbirth. I want to be the kind of healthcare provider who listens, advocates, and ensures that every patient receives respectful, evidence‑based care. Maternal health disparities, particularly for Black women, are a serious issue in this country, and I am determined to be part of the solution. Through my career, I plan to make a positive impact by serving underserved communities, educating young women about their health, and advocating for safer, more equitable maternal care. I want to help reduce preventable complications, support healthy families, and empower women to make informed decisions about their bodies. My goal is not only to provide medical care, but also to create a sense of trust, dignity, and support for every patient I encounter. Everything I have experienced, every challenge, every leadership role, every moment of growth, has strengthened my commitment to serve others. I am determined to use my education, my voice, and my future career to create meaningful change in the world, one patient and one community at a time.

One of the most urgent needs in my community is the lack of representation and culturally competent care for African American women during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Black women in the United States face the highest maternal mortality rates of any racial group, with a rate two to four times higher than that of White, Hispanic, or Asian women. These disparities are not accidental, they are the result of systemic bias, the lack of representation in the medical field, and the reality that Black women are too often dismissed or ignored when they express pain or concerns. This gap in care creates dangerous outcomes during one of the most vulnerable and life‑changing moments in a woman’s life, and it is a problem that has been overlooked for far too long. Growing up without a consistent mother figure during the moments when I needed guidance most shaped my understanding of how deeply support matters. I learned early on what it feels like to navigate important milestones without someone to advocate for you, reassure you, or simply listen. That absence didn’t just leave a void, it created a purpose. It revealed who I want to become: a midwife who advocates for women who often go unseen in medical spaces. I want to be the kind of provider who listens, believes, and stands beside women who have historically been overlooked. My goal is to ensure that no woman feels alone or unheard during a time when she deserves the highest level of care and compassion. Through nursing and midwifery, I plan to address this need by offering culturally aware, patient‑centered care that prioritizes trust, communication, and respect. I want to create safe, stigma‑free spaces where African American women feel empowered to voice their concerns and confident that they will be taken seriously. I hope to develop community programs that provide education on prenatal health, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding support, and mental wellness, resources that many women in my community do not currently have access to. These programs would not only provide information but also create a sense of community, connection, and support that so many mothers lack. My future training in nursing will equip me with the clinical skills to support mothers physically, while my lived experiences will guide me in supporting them emotionally. I understand what it means to feel unheard, and I know how transformative it can be when someone finally listens. That understanding is what drives me. By becoming a midwife, I aim to help reduce disparities in maternal health and ensure that African American women receive the care they deserve. I want to be part of the generation that changes the narrative, improves outcomes, and makes the world safer for women who have been overlooked for far too long.

Throughout my childhood, I lived in a constant cycle of movement, between my dad’s house, my aunts’, and my grandparents’. Growing up in a single‑parent household shaped nearly every part of my life. My dad often talked about how difficult it was to raise me on his own with no support, and he always reminded me how important it was to continue my education. He knew firsthand how differently his life could have turned out if he had made different choices. While he struggled in school, dropped out, and faced the consequences of those decisions, I was the opposite. I consistently brought home straight A’s, and seeing my success always lit up his face. But behind his pride was a quiet resentment, he wished he had been able to give us a better, more stable life. The instability we faced came with real financial hardship. We didn’t always have a permanent place to live, and putting food on the table wasn’t guaranteed. The lifestyle he tried so hard to maintain simply wasn’t sustainable. Eventually, everything reached a breaking point. In eighth grade, what was supposed to be a two‑week stay with my grandmother turned into months and eventually years. She took me in when my dad could no longer maintain our home, even though she was grieving the recent loss of my grandfather and adjusting to living on a fixed income. My grandmother has done everything she can for me, but supporting herself and a child on only social security has been incredibly difficult. With no additional help from my father or other family members, she has had to shoulder every responsibility on her own. Despite the challenges, living with her gave me something I had rarely experienced before, stability. It allowed me to reflect on my past and understand how those experiences shaped my resilience, independence, and ability to adapt to constant change. As I prepare for college, the reality is that our financial situation cannot stretch to cover the cost of higher education. Even with my academic success, affording tuition, books, housing, and the additional expenses required for a nursing degree is overwhelming. My grandmother wants nothing more than to support my dreams, but her fixed income makes it impossible. With my father no longer present in my life, the responsibility of paying for college falls entirely on me. This scholarship would relieve a tremendous burden, not just for me, but for my grandmother as well. It would allow me to focus on my education without the constant worry of how I will afford each semester. More importantly, it would bring me one step closer to breaking the cycle of instability that has followed my family for generations. I am determined to build a future defined not by hardship, but by purpose, stability, and the opportunity to help others through a career in nursing. Your support would help make that future possible.